Current Research

My research interests are in the interplay of gravity and the quantum, focusing on curved spacetime quantum field theory but also including aspects of quantum gravity.

The central theme, building on Hawking's 1974 prediction of black hole radiation, is the search for novel quantum phenomena associated with global properties of spacetime and with motion of observers in spacetime, as well as the search for laboratory systems that exhibit similar phenomena. At a fundamental level, the study of these phenomena provides guidance for developing theories of the quantum mechanical structure of spacetime, including the puzzle of the microphysical origin of black hole entropy. At a more practical level, a theoretical control of the phenomena may have applications in quantum information processing in situations where gravity and relative motion are significant, such as quantum communication via satellites.